Spider Valve Mk II Presets, Specs, and FAQ

Q: What are the presets on my Spider Valve Mk II amplifier?A: There are 64 presets (16 banks of 4) programmed into the amplifier at the factory, and 64 “empty” preset locations for an end user to program. The “empty” 64 preset locations have defaults (1-4) in them as a starting place.

Q: I noticed that the Artist/Song Presets from the Spider IV are not present on the Spider Valve Mk II?A: Yes, as many end users had asked for more locations to store their personal presets, we have removed the artist/song presets for the Spider Valve Mk II.

Q: Are the Spider Valve Mk II series amps Mono(phonic)?A: Yes, the Spider Valve Mk II series amplifiers have a monophonic output (as are most tube amplifiers).

Q: How can I connect a POD unit to my Spider Valve Mk II series amplifier?

Q: What are the function of the 12AX7 tubes?A: V1 is the booster to the output tubes, V2 is the phase inverter for the output tubes. When viewing the SV MKII HD100 upright from the back, V1 is on the right side. On the combo, V1 is on the left side.

Q: Can the Spider Valve Mk II handle another 12A_7 style tube without damage to tubes or circuitry?A: Yes, but as these tubes act as a phase inverter and a boost to the power amp (rather than traditionally "cleaning up" the preamp section), you may not get the result you are looking for.

Q: What Line 6 controllers work with the Spider Valve Mk II series amplifier?

Q: Is there a bias switch to change the power tubes to EL-34s or other power tube types?A: No, the Spider Valve Mk II does not offer bias switchable options and was designed to only be used with 6L6 power amp output tubes.

Q: Is there a headphone output on the Spider Valve Mk II series?A: There is no headphone output on the Spider Valve Series, but you can use the XLR output to go to a mixer, then use the headphone jack from the mixer.

Q: Can I run my Spider Valve Mk II amplifier without a speaker load? A:No, you cannot run the Spider Valve Mk II series without a speaker load. Please see the following link for more information on cabinet connections:

Q: Can the Spider Valve Mk II be run with a Variac?A: This is not recommended as the lower voltage can cause problems with the digital processing in the Preamp section of the Spider Valve Mk II.

Q: Can I run a Palmer S.E., THD Hot Plate, Power Soak, etc. for speaker simulation or power attenuation?A: There are no known issues regarding the use of any direct recording simulators or power attenuators between the power amp output and the speaker cabinet, but if there is damage caused by improper connections or malfunctioning gear it will not covered under the Line 6 warranty.

Q: Do the Spider Valve Mk II 112 and 212 combos support external speaker cabinets? If so, will the external cabs mute the internal speakers of the Spider Valve Mk II?A: Yes, the Spider Valve Mk II supports the use of additional cabinets. Please ensure that the ohm load is correct to avoid damaging your amplifier if you intend to use both the internal and external speakers simultaneously.

Q: What is the bias voltage for the 6L6 tubes?A: 35 ma (or mv)

Q: Does the XLR output still send signal when the amplifier is on standby?A: In some cases yes, in some no. Spider Valve MkII actually has two different modes of Direct Out, which can be found in the SETUP menu in Edit Mode. They are Studio and Performance. Studio mode is a traditional, DSP POD-style output with speaker simulation and will function when the amplifier is in standby mode. In contrast, Performance mode takes a tap off the output transformer, then goes through the speaker simulation before going through the Direct Out. This allows the tubes to interact with the DSP, and because the amp has to be on to allow this to happen, there will be no signal at the XLR output in standby if Performance mode is selected.

Q: Does the Spider Valve Mk II have an FX loop?A: the Spider Valve Mk II has a pre-amp out (effect send) and Power amp in (effect return) section.

Q: Is the effect loop series or parallel? Is the effect loop mono or stereo?A: The effect loop is series mono.

Q: Does the Spider Valve Mk II have MIDI ports?A: Yes, the Spider Valve Mk II amplifier series has both MIDI in and MIDI out ports, and the Spider Valve Mk II will accept MIDI program changes on MIDI Channel 1-16, from values 00-127. The MIDI channel assignment can be accessed by pushing the “preset” encoder and using the left/right arrow key to reach “MIDI”. This greatly increases the opportunity to integrate Spider Valve MkII’s into your existing rig, and will also allow you to update your amps firmware via MIDI. See the advanced user’s guide for the full MIDI story.

Q: Can I send a MIDI output from the Spider Valve Mk II to another MIDI-capable Line 6 amplifier and control both amplifiers with one FBV controller?A: Yes, but as different Line 6 amplifiers have different MIDI implementation you will want to go through each control on the FBV to ensure that you get the desired control on both units.

Q: Is there an editor where I can connect my Spider Valve Mk II to my computer and edit/store tones?A: Yes, Spider Valve Edit is the editing software that can be used to edit the Spider Valve Mk II. Please see the following link for more information:Spider Valve Edit FAQs

Q: What do the FBV Shortboard series stomp, FX Loop/Function 1, and Function 2 do?A: The Stomp button activates the "boost" on both the original FBV shortboard series (Mark I) and Mark II controllers. The FX Loop (Mk I)/Function 1 (Mk II) activates the Noise gate. The Function 2 (Mk II only) activates the loop feature on the Spider Valve Mk II.

Q: What do the FBV Shortboard MkII Function 1 and Function 2 buttons do with Spider Valve MkII? How is it different from the original FBV Shortboard?A: The Function 1 button activates the Boost setting saved with each preset. The Boost setting (up to 8db pre and/or post amp model) can be found by entering “edit mode” on the SV MkII and pressing the R arrow on the 4-way nav button. The button equivalent to Function 1 on the original FBV Shortboard is labeled FX Loop.The Function 2 button (FBV Shortboard MkII only) is equivalent to the Quick Loop button on the faceplate of the SV MkII, and arms the built in Looper. For full functionality of the Looper, see the Spider Valve MkII Advanced User Guide. In addition, the Stomp button activates the first Smart FX on both the original and MkII FBV Shortboard controllers.

Q: Can I run the Spider Valve Mk II head with only the outer two power tubes (removing the inner pair) to operate at a lower output volume?A: Yes, it is safe to run the Spider Valve Mk II Head with two 6L6s. It is recommended that the output impedance be run at "half" when running in this configuration. An example would be running the 8 ohm head output connected to the 16 ohm cabinet connection, or the 4 ohm output to an an 8 ohm cabinet connection. Line 6 recommends re-biasing your amplifier to 35mv after removing the tubes, as the current draw will have changed.

Q: Where is the fuse located in the chain?A: The fuse is located between the 12AX7s and 6L6s (there is no “master” fuse).

Spider Valve Cabinet FAQs

Q: What are the specs for the Line 6 4x12 cabinet?A: 9 ply, ¾” wood with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. There is no “internal baffle”.

Q: What are the ohm load options for the 4x12 cabinet?A: The switchable ohm load options for the 4x12 cabinet are 16 ohm mono, 8 ohm stereo, and 4 ohm mono.

Trouble shooting

Q: What is the manufacturer’s warranty for Spider Valve Mk II?A: The warranty for the Spider Valve Mk II amplifier is 12 months from the date of purchase, the tubes warranty is 90 days from the date of purchase.

Q: How do I perform a factory reset on my Spider Valve Mk II?A: The factory reset for the Spider Valve Mk II series is to hold the "A" button while powering the unit, then pushing the “presets” encoder twice.

Q: I hear a loud "pop" when I switch between certain presets on the Spider Valve MKII. Is this normal?A: Sometimes if the Channel Volume is set or saved too low on a preset a loud pop will be heard when navigating to it and away from it. This is because of the level difference between it and the other saved presets. Try adjusting the preset's Channel Volume above "12:00" and saving again. This should level out the difference between the presets and eliminate the popping sound.

Q: Will using different brands of 6L6 tubes in the Spider Valve Mk II void the warranty?A: No, feel free to experiment with other tubes of the same type as long as they are correctly biased.